For Immediate Release: February 28, 2022

Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) invites women in the funeral service profession to make waves at its 2022 Professional Women’s Conference, April 29-May 1, at The Confidante Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. This uplifting conference offers attendees the opportunity to learn, grow and connect with colleagues so they can continue to make a difference for their families and communities. The Funeral Service Foundation is making the profession’s premier event for women more accessible than ever by offering 20 all-inclusive David C. Baue NFDA Professional Women’s Conference Scholarships.

Visionary Speakers

The 2022 Professional Women’s Conference features a line-up of inspiring conference sessions led by groundbreaking experts covering a wide range of topics:

• April 30
  • Women at the Helm: The Future of Funeral Service presented by Dr. Jodi Carrington, speaker, author and leader of Carrington & Company
  • Setting Goals to Accelerate Your Success: Practical Tips for Continued Achievement presented by Jenn Parvin, vice president of Marketing and Technology, Batesville
  • Standing for Something Larger than Yourself presented by Annette March-Grier, RN, CFSP, co-founder and president of Roberta’s House
  • Imagining the Unimaginable: Supporting Families Following the Death of a Child presented by Kristin James, LPCP, executive director, Greater Illinois Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition and Missing Pieces Child Loss Network; and Betsy Hawley, MA, executive director, Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition
• May 1
  • Concurrent Sessions – choose from:
    • Embalming Infants & Children: One of the Most Difficult Parts of the Job presented by Lincoln Plain, The Dodge Company representative, Eastern North Dakota & Minnesota
    • Experience Matters: The Secret Engine Behind the Most Meaningful Innovations presented by Jenny McClanahan, creative director of At-need Marketing, Precoa; and Kelly Kohut, senior director of field project development – Selected Services, Precoa
  • What’s Your Style? presented by Marguerite Ham, CEO (Chief Energizing Officer) and founder of Igniting Success

Engaging Discussions and Networking

Attendees can kick off their Professional Women’s Conference experience with a complimentary reception and dinner cruise along the Miami coast hosted by the Funeral Service Foundation. During this event and throughout the conference, there are ample opportunities to connect with fellow attendees professionally and personally. 

“I am so proud to be a woman professional in such an important field as this,” said a previous Professional Women’s Conference attendee. “I appreciate the opportunity to be able to network with other women in my field at a conference set aside especially for us. It is so uplifting to share stories, challenges and success and to encourage each other as we continue to serve in a field that is emotionally difficult at times.”

“I have been attending this conference for over 20 years,” another conference attendee noted. “Friendships and business relationships have been developed through the awesome networking. The energy from a group of women sharing their experiences is just amazing.”

Scholarship Opportunities

The Funeral Service Foundation is offering up to 20 David C. Baue NFDA Professional Women’s Conference Scholarships to female and non-binary funeral professionals and students to attend this year’s event. The scholarships are all-inclusive and cover registration and event fees, a two-night stay at The Confidante Hotel, and up to $500 in travel reimbursement.

Applicants must be verifiably employed in funeral service or related occupations or be a student in good standing and currently attending classes at an ABSFE- or Canadian-accredited institution or program; NFDA membership is not required. Complete requirements and the application form are available online, www.funeralservicefoundation.org/scholarships. The application will remain open until March 15; winners will be announced at the end of March.

Registration is Now Open

Attendees must register for the 2022 NFDA Professional Women’s Conference by April 26. Registration fees are: 

• First Registrant
  • NFDA member licensed funeral director: 
    • On or before March 28: $495
    • After March 28: $545
  • Nonmember licensed funeral director: 
    • On or before March 28: $645
    • After March 28: $695
  • Nonmember non-funeral director: 
    • On or before March 28: $495
    • After March 28: $545
• Second registrant from the same organization: 
  • On or before March 28: $470
  • After March 28: $520
• Student (accredited funeral service education program): 
  • On or before March 28: $100
  • After March 28: $100

Complete details about the 2022 NFDA Professional Women’s Conference, including how to register, are available online, www.nfda.org/pwc, or by calling 800-228-6332 (262-789-1880).

Originally built in the 1940s, The Confidante Hotel, is a nostalgic and playful celebration of its retro-glam roots. The Miami Beach retreat is ideally located between the hustle of South Beach and the bustle of Miami’s hip art districts. NFDA has secured a limited number of rooms at The Confidante Hotel for discounted rates. Visit www.nfda.org/pwc to secure a room by the March 24 deadline. 

Thank You

NFDA is grateful to the following companies for their support of the 2022 Professional Women’s Conference: the Funeral Service Foundation; Precoa; Batesville; Your Funeral Coach; Davis Whitehall; Nomis Publications Inc.; ASD – Answering Service for Directors; FrontRunner Professional; Messenger; NGL; and The Dodge Company. 

COVID-19 Advisory

NFDA’s number one priority is the health and safety of event participants. The association’s goal is to hold a safe event, recognizing it is not possible to remove all risks, in particular concerning COVID-19. NFDA is closely following the latest developments in COVID-19 safety protocols and legal requirements and is keeping updated its health and safety protocols related to in-person attendance at the Professional Women’s Conference. 

While participating in events held or sponsored by NFDA, consistent with CDC guidelines, participants are encouraged to practice good hand hygiene, “social distancing” and wear face coverings to reduce the risks of exposure to COVID-19. Because COVID-19 is extremely contagious and is spread mainly from person-to-person contact, NFDA has put in place preventative measures to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, NFDA strongly recommends that attendees at the Professional Women’s Conference be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to attending the event. 

COVID-19 is an extremely contagious virus that is easily spread by person-to-person contact, especially in indoor areas with multiple attendees. Participating in NFDA’s event could increase the risk of contracting COVID-19, especially for those who are not fully vaccinated.

NFDA’s full health and safety policies and procedures will be posted on the event website and are subject to change. NFDA appreciates attendees’ cooperation and understanding as it navigates this dynamic environment.

About NFDA

NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org.

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Media Contact: Jessica Koth, 262-814-1536, jkoth@nfda.org